The taste of freedom
by teaandcookies1000
Summary: Basically an episode tag to the Director pt.2. What happens after Liz gets exonerated. [Keenler]


**None of the characters are mine.**

Liz could feel the corners of her mouth tugging upwards and although she hadn't yet fully felt the relief, she already felt like a huge rock had been lifted off her shoulders. The air was cold and it was dark outside. Not a single car was on the streets near the courthouse and everyone was asleep because it must've been around midnight.

Suddenly the realization hit her that she actually hadn't really thought about what would happen next. She somehow had drawn a conclusion to her life in that car when she had written her little letter. Liz hadn't thought about what would happen if she got out, since she had been sure she wouldn't survive it. She turned right and looked around if there was anyone there. A bus passed the road in front of her and when it was gone there suddenly was a car.

A big smile took over her face when she realized who was waiting for her and she walked towards her friend who had once again saved her life. They didn't need any words to talk about what had happened, after spending that much time with each other they could communicate with their eyes. She hugged him tightly, buried her face in his shoulder and for the first time in a long time Red returned her gesture of affection, also relieved that their plan had worked out. A sweet moment of joy.

After successfully getting into the car, Dembe got behind the wheel and started the car. "Where do we go?" Red asked, a small smile on his face.

"I would love to go home, Red but I don't know where my keys are."

"Well that is a problem for another day. What about agent Ressler's place? Dembe and I still have to finish some unfinished business"

"Ok, yeah Ressler's place is fine, I guess."

After Red had dropped her off she got to his door and rang the doorbell. Liz didn't feel comfortable probably waking him up at such a late hour but she really needed a place to crash and in addition she had missed her best friend like crazy over the last weeks.

After a few seconds he opened the door a bit to see who was standing there. He looked indeed tired and wore a tshirt and only his boxers. "Liz? What are you doing here?"

"They only let me go 20 minutes ago and I didn't know where else to go." Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she, too, looked really tired. "Come in" he said and moved aside.

Ressler's apartment was nice and the best part about it was, that there was a little Chinese restaurant in the same street.

"You hungry?" he asked her while putting on some pants. She didn't want to make him go outside for her when he had just gotten out of bed but she hadn't really eaten anything with a substance for 2 days so she just looked at him innocently. "Ok, I think I'll get food while you take a shower, okay? Towels are in the cupboard in the bathroom and if you want you can take these" he put out some jogging pants and a hoodie and laid them on the bed "if you want to."

Feeling the warm water run down her body she thought of what had happened that day. It was finally over. She could go on with her life and wasn't stuck in what felt like some parallel universe far from home and her friends and colleagues. Something she had learned about herself in the past few months was that she desperately wanted a family. Of course she was planning on having a baby with Jacob/Tom before and got actually really close but now she knew that for a family she would do anything. It didn't have to happen immediately, she didn't even have a relationship at the moment, but sometime in the future.

She heard the front door close and turned off the water stream to get dried up. After pushing her wet hair out of her face she took the towel and wrapped herself in it. She went outside, got dressed in the comfy clothes Ressler had prepared for her and quickly dried her hair before going back to the living room. He had switched on the TV and was watching the news, the bag of chinese food waiting on the little table in front of him.

When he heard her he turned around and smiled. She decided to join him on the couch but went to get some beer from the fridge first. Sitting down next to him she finally could sit in peace since what seemed like an eternity. Apparently there was some report about her, the exonerated fugitive, on the news so Ressler asked "Should I change the channel? Or switch it off."

"Switch it off, would you? Oh and what did you get us to eat?"

"Surprise"

After they finished the tiredness kicked in, again. It had been an eventful day and neither of them had had a good night's sleep for weeks, so when Ressler came back from changing back into his former attire he found Liz curled up on the couch fast asleep, the blonde hair, almost dry spread over the armrest. She looked so beautiful, he thought to himself as he stroke lightly over her hair. Liz mumbled something and turned over. "Ill be in my bed, if you need anything" he whispered with a smile on his face and walked off to his room.

At two a.m. Liz suddenly woke up in terror. Only a bad dream, it was only a bad dream she told herself but when she couldn't fall back asleep she got up to take a sip of water and before she knew it she had slipped into Ressler's bed. She inhaled deeply and comforted by the smell of her best friend she had the best sleep she could remember.

The alarm started beeping way too early the next day and when Ressler turned around to press the snooz button he realized that he wasn't alone in his bed. Liz was blinking at him, her hair now fully dried and tousled, framing her face perfectly. "Whats the time" she groaned.

"6.30... I think I'll call in sick for today?" he suggested, thinking about how they needed to figure some things out and how he needed a break from work. Liz nodded in approval so Ressler got his phone and made the call.

"Yeah it's me, Ressler. Yeah, boss, I think I have a fever. I'm not feeling well at all and I'm feeling a little sick too... I will... Yeah I will... Ok .. Thank you. " he hung up and the very credible sick- sounding voice turned back to normal. "He bought it." Ressler smirked and pulled the covers up right under his chin again. Liz looked at him with her eyelids half closed, smiled and dozed right off, again.

When she woke up the next time it was because the heavenly smell of coffee had filled the apartment. After a few seconds of confusion she remembered everything that had happened in the last few days and especially yesterday. She was free again.

After getting out of bed she made her way to the kitchen, approaching the coffee she longed for so badly since there hadn't been any while she'd been in custody. Ressler stood leaning against the counter, with his back facing her and he clearly hadn't heard her coming in because he was showing zero reaction to her presence. "Some for me left?" she asked all smiley. Ressler turned around, coffee cup in his hands, and answered "Sure! Come here."

Liz must say he looked really good, his hair all messy and him, too looking like he had had enough sleep last night. He handed her the coffee, she took it gladly and took a sip. Letting out a sigh of contentment she sat down on the couch again but this time the sun was shining through the windows. It seemed to be a sunny day. Shortly after Ressler settled down next to her gazing at her happily.

"Good to be free again, ain't it?"

"You have no idea how nice it is. I think I haven't even fully realized it myself, that feeling of being chased just doesn't wear off."

"Maybe it's because I'm around" Ressler suggested and laughed."I'm getting really hungry...Maybe I should get us something to eat. There's a little bakery just down the road...I'll get some bakery. This conversation shall be continued later!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

He left and Liz got up to snoop around a bit. Mainly the kitchen, because she too needed to eat something. She found some eggs in the fridge and since she loved eggs for breakfast she just made some for both of them. When she was done she placed the pan on the little table he had and sat down on one of the chairs after switching on the tv. News channel, again. Why not.

When Ressler opened the door a few moments later, Liz' exonoration was once again mentioned on TV. "Is this your new thing? Watching yourself on the news?"

She had to laugh. "Just give me the damn food"

When passing her he touched her shoulder lightly and sat down next to her. Liz enjoyed her eggs and the muffin he had brought to the fullest. "Does it taste like freedom?" he asked her with a smile on his face.

"Better"

"So what do you want to do today? Any special wishes?" Ressler asked her when they were done eating and were sitting in front of the empty dishes.

"Duh I'll think of something, kay? And since you brought the food I feel like I should do the cleaning up part."

"I won't complain but I'm gonna help you."

They stood next to each other in the small kitchen and when he accidentally touched her while putting a plate back in the cupboard a weird, but good-weird feeling rushed through her.

Several minutes later when everything was put back in place, she suddenly had a good idea.

"Shooting range! I need some practice!"

"Good idea, same here. I didn't really have to shoot anyone like target wise while I was hunting you down."

They quickly regained their ability to hit the target right in the middle and so they left after a short time of practice. After having lunch at a little diner, they got back into the car to drive back to Ressler's apartment.

"Hey, what do you think about breaking into my apartment? I need some clothes... I mean I could stay there too, I guess... Uh, I don't know."

"Sure let's get you some clothes. It's nice having you there with me and you're welcome to stay as long as you like!... I mean if you want to." he smiled at her from the side, not lifting his eyes from the road as he turned left at the crossroads.

"I'd love to stay a little longer."

Thank god Liz had left a bobbypin in her pocket before she had gotten arrested, because now it came in handy. It felt kinda strange to pick her own lock but she knew there were some extra keys inside.

"you are really good at this" Ressler remarked when she had opened the door only seconds after starting her first attempt.

"Well, it has some advantages to travel around with a professional criminal."

 **Feel free to tell me what you think about this. If you think I should continue the story, please let me know, too cause I haven't decided yet...**

 **Thank you for your help, kickbuttkc (tumblr) :)**


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